Someday
by Biskitty
Summary: Or 'Never almost make a promise to Yuffie' YuffieTifaCloud convo. Cloti and hints of Yuffintine. Oneshot. Please Review!


So I figured I ought to wrap up the storyline from 'To Be Happy' and 'Stability' thus ending the stupid stalemate, as one reviewer so rightly put it.

Hope you like how I've done it!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters or places mentioned in this fic.

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It was a quiet day at Seventh Heaven. Tifa sat at a table in the bar, work on bills and shopping lists, whilst Cloud sat opposite, checking his maps.

"Well isn't this domestic!" Both heads lifted at the same time, one blond, the other brunette.

"Glad to see you're using my 'Closed for Business' sign." Yuffie carried on talking, undaunted by the lack of response.

"Well you're probably wondering why I'm here…" Cloud didn't respond. He didn't need to, Tifa was already nodding.

"Actually, I came here to talk to Cloud." Surprised, he looked at her. What could Yuffie want with him?

"Ahem." she cleared her throat noisily. "You, Cloud Strife, owe me!"

"What?!" Of all the things she could have said, that was probably the last thing he would have thought of.

"You… owe… me…" She spoke carefully, with great emphasis on each word.

"No I don't. I don't owe you for anything." He was quite confused.

"Well ok, maybe 'owe' isn't the right word…" Yuffie tapped her chin thoughtfully. Cloud glanced across at Tifa, who shrugged, as lost as he was.

"Ok, I can't think of a suitable word!" Yuffie threw up her hands in defeat.

"What does Cloud 'owe' you for Yuffie?" Tifa's voice was soft and amused. Cloud shot her a glare.

"Ah yes, that was my point." Yuffie drew herself up to her full height, which wasn't all that impressive and pointed at Cloud.

"You said that you would tell her you love her." Cloud's eyes widened and he shot his gaze to Tifa, who looked as uncomfortable as felt.

"No I didn't!" He realised he'd said the wrong thing when Tifa returned his gaze, hurt showing in her eyes.

Yuffie was oblivious to the exchange. "Yes you did. You agreed that if I told the person I loved how I felt, you would do the same!"

Cloud frantically searched his memory whilst avoiding looking at Tifa. " No… I didn't."

"Yes you did!" Yuffie was adamant.

"No I didn't Yuffie. You said you'd announce your feelings to the world, I said 'really' and you ran off yelling 'Yes really, just you wait and see'." Cloud was pretty confident that was how that particular conversation had played out.

Yuffie opened her mouth to disagree, and then paused. "Hmmm… maybe you're right…"

Cloud relaxed, with a small smile on his lips. Glancing across at Tifa, he found her frowning.

"Yuffie?" The ninja looked at Tifa expectantly. "Does this mean that you told someone that you love them?" Cloud hadn't even thought of that.

Yuffie grinned. "Yep, I sure did." Cloud watched Tifa's eyes widen in surprise.

Yuffie's grin grew bigger. "I didn't just tell 'someone', I told Vincent."

Cloud had been sure that Tifa's eyes couldn't get any wider, but apparently he was wrong. "You told _Vincent Valentine _that you love him?!" Tifa voice actually squeaked.

Yuffie's grin morphed into a frown. "Yes I did. And do you know what the ungrateful man said in reply?" Tifa and Cloud both shook their heads.

"He said 'Thanks'! I mean, really, just 'Thanks'!" Yuffie was fuming, her arms waving and feet stamping. "Of all the things he could have said!"

Cloud heard Tifa making sympathetic noises, but all he could really focus on was the fact at _Yuffie _told _Vincent _that she loved him, and he hadn't blown her off. Well... not exactly..

"Anyway…" Yuffie managed to calm down. "Now it's your turn Cloud." He looked at her in surprised, mouth open ready to protest.

She held up a hand. "I know you didn't actually promise, but if _I'm _brave enough to tell _Vincent… _well, I don't want to call you a coward to your face…"

The manipulative little monster! Cloud glared at the ninja. She ignored him and continued talking. "I mean there's no point waiting for the 'perfect moment' or even the 'right moment' cos that's never gonna happen. You just have to seize 'the' moment."

Cloud shrugged. "Why would I want to Yuffie? I mean telling Vincent how you feel doesn't seem to have made you happy…"

Yuffie cut him off by slamming her hands onto the table Cloud and Tifa were sitting at. "If either one of you _ever _starts waffling on about 'being happy' again, I'm going to throw something sharp and pointy at you."

She drew back. "And I don't mean Vincent's shoes!" A healthy respect for Yuffie's aim kept Cloud silent.

Yuffie's bad mood seemed to have returned in full force. "You know what, just forget it. Carry on living your 'happy' little lives, forget about me." With this she stormed out of the bar.

Cloud and Tifa shared a look, before returning to the work that Yuffie had interrupted. The atmosphere was broken though and Cloud felt a little uncomfortable. He kept remembering the hurt in Tifa's eyes. Yuffie was right, he was acting like a coward, and he was hurting someone he cared about in the process.

"Tifa…" She looked up. "Would you rather be happy or be in love?"

She smiled. "You think the two are mutually exclusive?" Her smile became a grin. "I guess Yuffie gave that impression!"

She dropped her gaze from his and fiddled with her pen. "To be honest, I would like to be happy _in _love."

He swallowed hard. "Do you think that will ever happen?"

Her eyes returned to his, confusion in their depths. He held her gaze.

Then she stood up, breaking eye contact. "Maybe someday…" Her voice was wistful.

Cloud also stood up, moving around the table to stand in front of her. "No." Tifa was surprised enough to look him in the eye.

"Not someday. Not 'the right moment'." His heart was racing. "What about _today_? What about _this_ moment?"

Tifa frowned in confusion. "Wha...?"

Cloud sighed. He wasn't good at talking, so he was just going to have to show her what he meant.

He lowered his head and kissed her.

It was a brief kiss, gentle and hesitant. Tifa raised a hand to her lips. "… Cloud…?"

He smiled. Somehow, it didn't seem all that hard to say anymore. "I love you."

Slowly a smile spread across her face. Reaching up, she pulled his head down for another kiss.

Pausing, their lips the barest millimetre apart, she grinned at him. "I was hoping you'd say that."


End file.
